The first domestic violence specialists have been placed in 999 control rooms in memory of a woman who was murdered by her ex-husband despite ringing police on the night she died.
Raneem’s Law has been launched in five pilot areas – West Midlands, Northumbria, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire and Humberside.
The legislation – promised in Labour’s manifesto – is named after 22-year-old Raneem Oudeh and her mother Khaola Saleem, 49, who were murdered by Ms Oudeh’s ex-husband in August 2018.
Ms Oudeh had called 999 more than a dozen times in the months leading up to her death, including to report threats to kill her, but police did not log the reports correctly, did not follow up and did not assess them correctly.
Khaola Saleem and Raneem Oudeh
On the night she was killed, she rang 999 four times but the police did not respond in time.
The new domestic abuse specialists will ensure that calls for help are properly assessed, managed and responded to, the government said.
Their duties will include advising on risk assessments, making referrals to specialist services and identifying missed opportunities to safeguard victims.
The first phase will inform plans for a national rollout across 43 police forces in England and Wales and will be underpinned by £2.2m funding over the next financial year.
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “Every 30 seconds, someone calls the police about domestic abuse – over 100 people every hour seeking urgent help.
“That’s why we are determined to overhaul the police emergency response to domestic abuse, making sure that victims get the specialist support and protection they need. That must be Raneem and Khaola’s legacy.”
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Desperate 999 call hours before murder
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On the night she died, Ms Oudeh was told to go to her mother’s house and officers would visit her the next day. She was on the phone to West Midlands Police when she was stabbed by Janbaz Tarin, her estranged husband, one of the many calls she had made about him that night.
Ms Oudeh had broken up with her husband in the weeks before the attack after discovering he had three children and a secret wife who was pregnant with a fourth child in Afghanistan.
Tarin admitted the murders and was jailed for life with a minimum of 32 years in December 2018.
An inquest found the police force “materially contributed” to their deaths. Five officers were disciplined over the failures.
Nour Norris, the sister and aunt of victims Khaola Saleem and Raneem Oudeh. Pic: PA
Nour Norris, Ms Oudeh’s aunt and Mrs Saleem’s sister who has been campaigning to improve outcomes for domestic abuse victims, said today’s announcement would help save lives.
“Raneem called for help, and today, the system finally answered,” she said.
“I can’t express enough how deeply emotional and significant this moment is.”